They are heroes. What they did has changed not just Penn State, but the entire nation for the better.

It was anything but an easy road to get Sandusky behind bars. The trial was followed with a media frenzy not seen since the O.J. Simpson trial in the 1990s. On top of that, the victims’ own communities were slow to support them.

As the psychologist for Victim 1 told Patriot-News reporter Sara Ganim, “Students, adults, even people in positions of authority were mocking the teen and calling him names. Halfway through his senior year, he was forced to switch schools.”

Worst of all, the victims had to deal with the memories of Sandusky’s abuse. They had to try to bring back every detail and explain it to a grand jury and, ultimately, to a public courtroom where Sandusky was sitting mere feet away.

Several of the victims wanted to remain anonymous and testify under pseudonyms. The judge not only forced them to use their real names, he ultimately allowed the court transcript to go public, making it even easier to find their identities.

They endured all this at a young age; all were under 30 at the trial. What was done to them as boys was horrific enough. They had to face it all again in the public spotlight.

Brave almost doesn’t seem like a strong enough word for what they did over the past few years after they began contact with authorities.

While they came forward to stop Sandusky from harming anyone else, this scandal and trial ultimately changed the conversation about child sexual abuse in this state and country.

People have finally felt able to talk about being abused as children. In Pennsylvania, Rep. Louise Bishop, D-Philadelphia, finally spoke publicly about being sexually abused by her stepfather when she was a child. She was 78 when she could say it aloud in public. Compare that to Victim 1, who took the witness stand at age 18 and first came forward to authorities at age 15.

Across the country, universities, schools and youth camps have changed their procedures to make sure what happened with Sandusky cannot happen again. There is an open conversation now about abuse and a realization that, yes, it does happen, even in our schools, religious institutions, families and clubs.

By speaking out, these eight young men emboldened others to come forward and forced a lot more people to listen.

It’s hard to image that the ridicule and disbelief Victim 1 faced at Central Mountain High School could happen today.

These eight young men — known as Victims 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 — deserve our utmost praise and support. But most of all, they deserve our commitment to do everything we can to protect children in our own communities.